BMW boss Norbert Reithofer said: “We are aiming to achieve a record-breaking profit before tax and to increase sales volume by over 10 per cent to a new high of more than 1.6 million vehicles. We are well on track to remain the world’s leading manufacturer of premium cars.”

In the first half of 2011, sales of the BMW X1 rose 34.2 per cent to 62,698 units, sales of the new X3 more than doubled to 53,522 units and the X5 recorded a 4.9 per cent increase in sales to 48,749 units. The new 5-series also got off to a very strong start, with sales in the first half of 170,708 units and the 7-series was also up just over 3 per cent to 31,764 units.

Mini sales were up 35.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2011 and hit a total of 141,913 units in the first half of the year. Mini bosses were also vindicated by the performance of the Countryman, with 40,171 sold in the first half of the year.

BMW is also claiming that the Mini division is “generating a high-value product mix” with 48.3 per cent of customers buying Cooper models and 32 per cent the Cooper S.

Rolls Royce sales volumes for the six-month period rose by 64.1 per cent to 1,592 units. The company shifted 60,580 BMW motorcycles and 3530 Husqvarna motorcycles. BMW bosses say that the strong performance of the four X-series models and the 5-, 6- and 7-series models will be the profit drivers.